Storm Sends Part Of Upper West Side Building Crashing To Street

UPPER WEST SIDE, NY — An Upper West Side landlord has been issued a violation by the city Department of Buildings after a portion of a Riverside Drive building's cornice fell into the street, a department spokesman told Patch.

During Monday's thunderstorm DOB inspectors received a complaint of a "partial facade collapse" at 404 Riverside Drive, located between West 112th and 113th streets, city officials said. The inspectors discovered that part of the building's copper cornice had actually become dislodged and fell from the 12-story building down to the street, officials said.

The building owner was cited for failure to maintain the property and was ordered to construct a scaffolding around the building to protect people on the sidewalk, a DOB spokesman told Patch.

The fallen cornice landed outside of the building on Riverside Drive and West 113th street, The West Side rag first reported. The pieces of metal blocked off the building's main entrance and caused damage to the street, trees and some shrubbery near the building, the West Side Rag reported.

Check out the West Side Rag's report to see photos of the fallen cornice.

Photo by Google Maps street view